


riptide

by shanivoneverec



Series: Underneath [2]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Aquaphobia, F/F, Fluff and Smut, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Skinny Dipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:40:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27854406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shanivoneverec/pseuds/shanivoneverec
Summary: Set sometime after "let me take you underneath".Adora helps Catra cope with her fear of water.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Series: Underneath [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2039130
Comments: 5
Kudos: 103





	riptide

“Don’t be scared, baby,” Adora soothes, running her palm soothingly up and down Catra’s leg as the other girl strips, tearing her shirt off and revealing, as usual, that she’s not wearing a bra. Adora likes to look at her, and God, does she look gorgeous in the moonlight. She trembles just the slightest bit in the cool night air, wrapping her arms around herself, leaving just enough exposed that Adora can still see how perky her nipples are.

Fuck, she wants to taste them. But she’s here on a mission.

“Pfft. I’m not scared,” Catra grumbles. The way her tail lashes behind her sends a different message to Adora. Deciding not to say anything, because getting Catra to be completely vulnerable outside of the bedroom is a delicate task, Adora offers her hands. Catra sniffs, flushing and looking anywhere but at Adora’s face as she drops her arms and takes them, letting Adora help her out of the truck bed.

Adora leads her slowly down the sandy hill, walking backwards so that she can look into Catra’s eyes the entire time. She wants to be encouraging, just like Catra was during her first time. But it isn’t every day that Catra allows Adora to help her tame one of her own fears, least of all her fear of water.

Adora brings them to the edge of the lake and then stops. She doesn’t want to let go of Catra, so she only uses one hand to pull off her own tank top and then slide her underwear down her legs, hopping as she kicks them off. She gathers both articles of clothing in her free hand and tosses them haphazardly onto a nearby rock. Catra squeezes her hand then, and Adora hears her snicker.

“You want to skinny dip? I thought you’d at least keep your panties on.”

“I thought this might make the experience more pleasant for you,” Adora hums, nibbling on her bottom lip as Catra’s eyes take in her naked body, pupils blown wide with arousal.

Adora thinks Catra’s ready to pounce, but her girlfriend merely smirks – that trademark smirk that Adora loves more than air – and teases her as if Adora can’t see the way she continues to shiver.

“You’re going to get so much sand and nasty shit stuck in weird places,” she points out, and Adora has to groan.

“Don’t ruin the mood,” she chides softly, gesturing with her free hand to the view in front of them. It’s significantly more beautiful here at night when they’re all alone, as opposed to when they come in the daytime and the beach is cluttered with college students, picnic blankets, and discarded beer bottles. The moon’s reflection waves to them, rippling in the middle of the lake and extending its ethereal glow from the soft, silky beaches to the rocky cliffs across the water. Adora squints at the distant headlights, watching them flutter back and forth on the highway; she feels so cut off and far away that they almost resemble fireflies to her, scaling the edge of the water. 

“I mean,” Catra starts, and Adora hears the waver in her voice, “if you just wanted to get _wet_ , there are easier ways…”

Catra defaults to humor, sexual humor mostly, when she’s feeling overwhelmed or uncomfortable. It didn’t take Adora long to learn this, which is why she can’t respond the way Catra probably wants. She needs to know what Catra needs, and if that means they retreat back to the truck then that’s what they’ll do. But she can’t take the bait without proper insight from Catra herself, can’t let herself follow her horny cravings without properly addressing her girlfriend’s feelings.

“Hey,” she murmurs, stepping in front of Catra and placing her hands on the girl’s shoulders, “are you sure you’re cool with this?” She rubs her shoulders in a rhythmic massage, keeping her hold light even though she’s afraid Catra will take off running. Her breathing is significantly heavier, and she isn’t looking at Adora at all anymore. She stares almost dejectedly down at the sand, her ears drooping.

“Y-Yeah, I’m totally cool,” Catra stammers, and her voice is so high pitched that it sounds completely insincere. Her voice only gets that high pitched when she’s really bothered by something or about to cum. Adora knows Catra finds her attractive, but she’s sure the girl hasn’t already reached an orgasm just from looking.

“Catra, listen to me,” Adora says, trying to keep her voice stern without being antagonizing, lest Catra withdraw even further into herself, “it’s okay if you aren’t ready. I’m so, so sorry that I pushed you to come here. We don’t have to do this.”

Catra’s ears perk up the slightest bit, and she’s looking at Adora in awe and hesitation. She opens her mouth to speak, then closes it again, turning her face away with a frustrated huff.

“Just say the word, and I will carry you back up to that truck and ravish you until dawn.”

A flicker of a smile, and Adora feels relieved.

“This conversation sounds familiar,” she purrs.

“Yeah,” Adora laughs in disbelief, “it does, doesn’t it?”

They smile softly at each other, Adora’s fingers still massaging Catra’s shoulders carefully, and she feels Catra slowly relax under those tender, repetitive motions.

She notices Catra staring out at the water, still fearful, still uncertain, but Adora doesn’t press her one way or the other. She merely watches Catra take it all in, admiring how beautiful she looks like this: half naked, eyes bright and gleaming a fierce blue and yellow even through the darkness, and her hair billowing gently behind her as a breeze sweeps past them both, tossing the sand against their bare legs.

Catra swallows, shuddering as she suddenly draws closer to Adora. Adora lets Catra bury her face in her shoulder, wraps her arms around her and holds her close, feeling delightfully warm as her naked flesh presses against Catra’s. She feels the thumping of the other girl’s heart against her own chest.

“I want to try,” Catra whispers. “I want to get in that water with you.” Somehow her voice is full of lust, determination, and anxiety all at once, and Adora strokes a hand through her hair, petting her carefully as she responds to the quiet claim.

“Can you tell me what scares you most?” Adora asks. “Is it the water itself or is it just being submerged in it?”

“I think…” Catra pauses, and Adora continues to pet her, giving her all the time she needs. “I think it’s when it gets in my face. That’s…when it bothers me.”

“Hmm,” Adora hums, thinking to herself. After a moment she pulls away, hearing Catra trill in surprise. “I can hold you,” she suggests, cupping Catra’s face tenderly. “If you still want to do this, I can hold you up while we’re in the water. You won’t have to swim or anything.”

Catra’s eyes grow wide and her mouth falls open. She stares at Adora with what Adora hopes is longing, a familiar redness appearing on her cheeks. As if in confirmation, her gaze shifts downwards to Adora’s nude body, just for a split second, before coming back up.

“I-I…” Catra tries to say, but can’t seem to find the words. She chokes on a laugh. “I’m probably going to scratch the shit out of you.”

“Well, if that’s the cost of keeping my girlfriend safe and happy, then I’ll gladly pay it,” Adora shrugs, feeling herself melt a little inside when Catra’s eyes shine back at her with pure, unreserved love.

Adora blinks in surprise when Catra’s hand covers hers, removing it from her face and instead pulling it lower, and lower still, until it hovers just above the belt of her shorts. Adora’s other hand follows, settling on Catra’s hips. Her thumbs rub soft circles into them as her gaze flickers back up to Catra’s. When Catra nods, Adora inhales sharply and quickly goes to unbutton the shorts, ignoring the snort of laughter above her.

She kneels as the pulls both Catra’s shorts and underwear off, wanting to move quickly before she becomes too aroused. She pauses briefly as she’s faced with Catra’s glistening sex, eager to reach out and touch but also mindful of what she needs to do first. Instead, she places an open-mouthed kiss over the tattoo on Catra’s inner thigh, smirking at the gasp she receives. Catra still hasn’t told her the full story behind that tattoo, though again, she knows better than to press.

They toss Catra’s shorts and panties onto the rock with Adora’s, then begin a slow, faltering dance to the shoreline. Adora holds Catra the entire time, and Catra, for the most part, keeps her face buried in Adora’s shoulder.

Catra jumps a little as the water touches her toes. Adora’s hands fall lower, moving to caress Catra’s ass and thighs.

“I’m going to pick you up, okay?” she whispers, and Catra nods, lifting a leg to make it easier for Adora to grab.

Adora’s picked Catra up and carried her before. Maybe that’s why Catra trusts her to do this in the first place: She already knows Adora won’t drop her, not with these muscles and abs.

Slowly, carefully, Adora steps deeper into the water. And then deeper. And deeper.

She gasps at the cool sensation on her lower tummy, and Catra’s tail almost immediately comes up to rest on one of Adora’s arms, fleeing the water for as long as possible. Catra’s trembling violently, but when Adora pauses and asks if she wants to get out, Catra takes a moment to think about before shaking her head in denial. Adora decides to stand there for a moment longer, holding Catra just barely above the water line. She rubs her back and murmurs words of comfort to her, and after a long while of just standing there, shivering and naked and impossibly close, Catra lifts her head from Adora’s shoulder and properly looks at her. And then she kisses her, and it tastes of sweetness and gratitude.

“I love you,” Catra says when they come apart, staring deep into Adora’s eyes, “and I trust you.”

Adora does indeed feel Catra’s claws dig into her back as she gradually submerges them both, perhaps not quite as deep as she was expecting, but she feels them and tries her hardest not to wince. Catra’s tail, which is also now partially submerged, has puffed up almost twice its size at the very end. It would be cute if Adora weren’t so concerned for her, but Adora can also hear her practicing the breathing exercises she learned from Perfuma. 

Inhale for four seconds. Hold for seven seconds. Exhale for eight seconds. Repeat.

Eventually they’ve gone so deep that the water comes up to their shoulders, and so Catra clings to Adora, more relaxed after several minutes of breathing exercises and Adora’s love and patience. They shift around with the water, letting the current lift them slightly before bringing them carefully back down. And it’s then that Adora becomes aware again of the intimacy of the situation; they’re both naked, holding each other close, their bodies sliding against each other under the water. And though Adora isn’t sure if it’s a conscience decision or just a result of the push and pull of the lake, she’s also suddenly aware of Catra’s arousal grinding against her lower tummy.

Catra shifts, biting back a moan as she angles her body against Adora’s again, bringing their foreheads together. And so they pant and they move, struggling against the water, and Catra hates the feeling of her thin fur becoming wet and heavy. But she loves the feeling of Adora holding her, keeping her safe, moving with her, touching her…

Catra kisses her, a deep kiss filled with tongue and longing that has Adora groaning loudly, knowing well that no one will hear them. The moon is their only witness. And so they come apart, breathing heavily, and then roll back together – over and over again until their cries mimic the howling winds.

\- - -

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want, but…why _are_ you so afraid of water?” Adora asks as Catra nuzzles into her. 

They just finished making love in the bed of Adora’s truck, but find themselves in no hurry to cover up. Instead, they rest on a towel, huddling together for warmth. Adora knows she’s going to be damp for awhile as long as Catra continues to cuddle her, as Catra’s fur usually takes a bit of time to dry. But when she sees the contented, almost smug smile on Catra’s face, she finds she doesn’t really mind.

“I’m a cat, Adora.”

“Funny,” Adora drawls. “But I meant what I said. You don’t have to tell me.”

Catra begins purring, and it surprises Adora because she knows this has been a long, intense night for her. Still, she leans into it, feeling as though it could easily lull her to sleep. Catra speaks to her again before she has a chance to drift off.

“I fell into the deep end of a pool when I was six and couldn’t get back out,” Catra says simply, like she’s already put it behind her, even though Adora knows that can’t be the case. One good night isn’t enough. “I was under there for almost two minutes before someone realized what happened. I could have drowned.”

“Seriously?” Adora balks, pulling Catra closer. “Wasn’t anyone watching you?” Catra shrugs.

“Guess no one really cared back then. Big surprise.”

“Well…” Adora trails off, biting back tears as she imagines a lonely little Catra out on her own, alone and scared and scrambling up the wall of a pool with no one looking out for her. “I’m here now, and I care. And I won’t let you go through stuff like this alone.”

There's a soft whimper, and then Catra is burying her face in Adora’s chest. She’s trembling again, but Adora is prepared. She reaches behind her and pulls out a blanket, draping it over both of them. Eventually Catra stops shivering, and the whimpering gives way to soft snores. Adora smiles, resting her chin on top of Catra’s head, the smell of salt and coconut and sex wafting around them.

She doesn’t want Catra to feel fear like that again. She looks out for Catra, and Catra looks out for her. They’ll fight the tides together.

**Author's Note:**

> So the pool thing that happened to Catra actually happened to me. Fell in a pool when I was six. Stayed under there for almost two minutes until Mom realized I fell in. She was swimming at the time and I had been walking along the edge watching her. I'm not really afraid of water, but I hate having my face submerged in it. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed! I plan to continue writing for this universe, so stay tuned!


End file.
